Aam Admi Party formally launched, Kejriwal seeks support

New Delhi:Arvind Kejriwal today formally launched his 'Aam Admi Party', saying now the fight will be between leaders and the common man who has been suffering for the past 65 years since Independence.

Addressing an gathering at Parliament Street here, Kejriwal said the new party was the result of the struggle against corruption.

"We have named this party Aam Admi Party. Hope you support it," he told the people who kept waving the tricolour and shouting 'Bharat Mata Ki Jai'.

Before the official launch of the party, Kejriwal and some of his supporters visited Rajghat and then BR Ambedkar Memorial in Civil Lines.

Can Kejriwal keep up to his promises? AFP

He chose November 26 for the launch as it was on this day in 1949 when the country's Constitution was adopted.

At the function, Kejriwal and others also paid tributes to those NSG commandos who fought valiantly against terrorists in Mumbai on the same day four years ago.

A former NSG commando Surinder Singh, who came out in open alleging that he was not given pension, was honoured by Admiral (Retd) L Ramdas.

"Now it will be neta (politician) versus aam admi (common man). The common man, suffering for the last 65 years, is going to establish own party and sit in Parliament," Kejriwal told reporters.

Asked about his experience in politics, he said, "Indeed I don't have experience of corruption and crime record like they (politicians) have and I don't even wish to have such experiences."

He said inflation is due to rising corruption and if graft can be controlled, then a lot can be done to control price rise.

Addressing the supporters, Kejriwal also thanked the NSG commandos who risked their lives and fought against LeT terrorists.

"The government has done nothing for them. We now don't expect them to do anything for these heroes," he said.

He also appealed to the government to honour all the commandos involved in the 26/11 operations.

Surinder Singh, who had last week held a press conference along with Kejriwal, said they were demanding justice and that he is fighting for all those commandos who were "ill-treated" by the government.

"I am getting threats now. I am not a person to get frightened. But it is not easy to fight against our own people, our own government. It is easy to fight enemies," he claimed.

The message of Vineeta Kamte, the wife of police officer Ashok Kamte who was killed by 26/11 terrorists, was also read out.

"The system has nothing to offer for common man. Ashok Kamte was killed. Police is not telling us the truth about his death. I wish to know the truth. A probe committee which went into the incident has hidden the truth," she claimed.

Kejriwal, who was elected as the National Convenor of his newly-formed party, has said he will tour the country for the next one year to "expose" the Congress and BJP while trying to convince people on why they should support his outfit.